Description

Like the Marquis, the Rio features a bermuda rig, but does not utilize it for propulsion (relying instead on its on-board motor) and lacks a headsail. In addition, the Rio is comparably shorter in height and length than the Marquis, but shares the Marquis' trait of an additional living space directly under the mast. The Rio also features a canopy over the boat's controls, and includes a back-mounted fan which purpose is unspecified, possibly for reading of wind speed/direction.

The Rio's size, together with its dependence on a small motor, makes steering of the Rio difficult and contributes to its slow speed, similar to the Marquis' performance. These shortcomings are downplayed in the GTA Vice City Stories rendition, with better maneuverability.

Trivia

The Rio was meant to appear in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (as evident from the handling code still being in the game files) but it was obviously dropped.

"Rio" means river in Spanish and in Portuguese.

The name is also probably a nod to the Duran Duran song Rio, which had a famous music video featuring the band on a sailing yacht; however, the boat used in that video was, ironically, more akin to the Marquis.